Topic: James Watkins

A Public Disclosure Commission review has determined that state Auditor-elect Troy Kelley violated a handful of minor regulations while disclosing his finances as a state representative. But the commission also found that other allegations made by Republicans during a nasty campaign for state auditor were unfounded. PDC Chairman Amit Ranade has scheduled a…

James Watkins, the Republican candidate for state auditor, conceded the race to Democratic Rep. Troy Kelley on Friday. “It does not appear that I will prevail in my run for State Auditor,” Watkins said in a statement. “It is my sincere hope that Troy Kelley has a successful term and capably fills the vacuum left by…

Ever since the news broke that state auditor hopeful Troy Kelley settled a potentially embarrassing lawsuit last year, the candidate has been trying to downplay the incident. “This is standard business practice,” Kelley said last week in an endorsement interview with The Seattle Times editorial board, referring to the suit, which accused him of “fraudulently…

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Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.